


Stories and Sketches

by RainbowKittn



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drawing, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 18:02:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6917542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowKittn/pseuds/RainbowKittn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As an art student, Rose draws many things, but none quite as beautiful as the man she saw while wandering through the park.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stories and Sketches

**Author's Note:**

> Nothing recognizable belongs to me.
> 
> I wrote this wile listening to "Falling Slowly" from the musical "Once" on repeat for hours and hours. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with this story, but it probably at least dictated some of the mood.

**Sunday, June 5th**

The sun beat down all around Rose, heralding the first sunny weekend of the year. Smiling, she stopped and closed her eyes as she reveled in the warmth on her skin. She did a quick inventory- pencil behind her ear, bag at her side, sketchbook under her arm- and pulled her door closed. So much of her time as an art student had been spent tucked away in clay scented dusty rooms, but today, she was determined to spend a lovely day sketching in the park. It was bound to be bustling with people, but Rose knew some less travelled spots, and was certain it wouldn’t be too difficult to find a quiet place.

Rose took in the beauty all around her as she wandered through the park. The flowers all tilted their blooms to the sun, soaking in as much as they could after the months of incessant rain. Trees shook with birds and squirrels jumped around with excitement. People filled the paths and laid about in fields. A group of children played tag, giggling and running as fast as their small legs would carry them.

Farther into the park, the crowds thinned. Rose saw a bench overlooking a flower-speckled field. There was no one else on the path, and she knew it was the perfect spot to draw in peace. She dropped her bag onto the bench, settled down, and flipped to a clean page in her sketchbook. Taking in the scene, she noticed she was not alone.

Against a nearby tree sat the most stunning person Rose had ever seen. He was tall and lean; his form accentuated by a light blue oxford and nice slacks. A bit much for the weather, Rose thought idly, but somehow, it seemed to fit him extremely well. Millenia passed in a moment as Rose studied his face. The light created wonderful depth and shadow across his features. The glasses perched on his nose and the book in his hands gave him an air of intellectualism. He ran a hand through his already tousled hair and Rose lost herself in it. Each strand was artfully placed, even though it was put there by complete accident. He was simply stunning- she had to draw him!

Afraid to be caught staring, she stole quick glances at first. He seemed far too engrossed in his book to notice her, so she let her gaze linger. Her pencil ghosted across his cheekbones and she frowned. Over and over, she tried to imitate his stunning beauty, but she could never capture the angle of his jaw, the way the light bounced through his hair, the defined muscles of his arms visible below his rolled-up sleeves. Rose frowned at her sketch’s imperfect sideburns and started over again.

Many pages full of half-finished sketches later, Rose realized the sun was starting to dim and she checked her phone. She had been there for hours! Gingerly, she stretched out her suddenly stiff feeling limbs. Gathering her things, she stood and looked to him. Could she talk to him? There was no way someone like him could have any interest in someone as plain as her. She debated for a moment, but ultimately walked away.

 

**June 12th**

It had been a week since Rose walked through the park, and all week she had found herself absentmindedly doodling the man she had seen. She had been trying to find him him all week. If he was at that park, then he must live nearby, right? Maybe he even attended the same nearby university as her. Her search hadn’t yielded any progress, but at least her constant sketching had improved. She had finally gotten the angle of his nose just right.

Rose had nearly given up on finding him, but had one last shred of hope. She grabbed her drawing supplies and headed out again. It was another Sunday, so maybe, just maybe, he would be back at the park. She knew it was a long shot, but she just had to try.

As she made her way to the park, she cursed herself again for not talking to him before. This Sunday was much cloudier than the last, and Rose’s hopes were low, as she found almost no one in the park. She walked briskly to the same spot as last week. A glimpse of his light blue shirt had her heart soaring as she approached the bench. She couldn’t help but smile, elated to have found him again.

She started walking towards him, but in her haste, didn’t notice the small branch on the path ahead of her. It just barely caught her foot, and she stumbled a few steps, teetering on the edge of balance. A grimace drew across her face and she hoped he hadn’t noticed. Cautiously, she glanced at him. A small grin accentuated his features, but he was still looking directly at his book. Rose desperately hoped he had just read something funny and not noticed her fumble. She quickly retreated to the safety of the bench, too embarrassed now to follow through with talking to him.

After a moment and a few deep breaths, Rose decided she might as well take the opportunity to draw him. With a fresh page in front of her, Rose started to map out his features with gentle strokes. Only a few strokes in, she realized she had been drawing his eyebrows wrong all week! Her pencil caressed his cheekbones and kissed over his lips. It etched the long, hard lines of his lean body into the paper as she tried to inscribe them into her mind.

As she drew, Rose occasionally felt eyes on her. She looked up, but always found him singularly focused on his book. It must be her mind playing tricks on her. She really wanted him to notice her, but she was also terrified of finding him upset at her. Maybe he would hate being looked at like she was looking at him now, trying to find every detail. What if he thought it was rude?

As the light started to grow dim, she filled in the last small touches. Satisfied with the finished piece, she gathered her things and stood. She desperately scrambled for the courage to go talk to him when she noticed he was getting up as well! Was he coming over to tell her off? Rose bolted away as quickly as she could, hoping to disappear before he could even notice.

 

**June 19th**

Another week passed and Rose knew she was completely hopeless. She found herself thinking about him all the time. She even dreamt of him! All day, she would wonder about his every little detail. What color were his eyes? Just how tall was he? Why did he always wear such nice clothes just to lay in the grass on a Sunday? Did he like chips?

She had to do something! Well past obsessed, she simply had to talk to him, no matter what. Once again, she gathered her drawing supplies and tucked a pencil behind her ear. Against all logic, she hoped just maybe he would be in the park again. The whole way there, she thought of ways to “accidentally” bump into him. Maybe she could drop something? He seemed like the type to help pick it up. At that thought, she realized she’d forgotten her purse and only had her sketchbook. There was no way she could risk letting him see all of the sketches! Maybe she could just talk to him. Yeah, just go and say, “I’ve been staring at you for 2 weeks now,” she thought sarcastically. That would be just brilliant…

Lost in her thoughts, she wasn’t paying much attention as she neared her bench. She cast a glance to his tree. Her heart dropped and she froze in place. He wasn’t there! What should she do? Had she completely messed up her chance? Why hadn’t she just been braver before?

Rose’s mind spun until movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention. He was sitting on her bench! Her initial joy turned into apprehension. There was no doubt now that he had seen her there. Was he there to confront her and tell her off for staring at him? She was about to bolt when he turned his head to look at her.

Chocolate. His eyes were a rich chocolate brown.

A soft smile graced his lips and he turned his gaze back to the tree. Too stunned to do anything else, Rose turned to look as well. A blanket was spread beneath the tree and a small basket rested on top of it. Not yet fully understanding, Rose turned back to him and noticed a sketchbook in his lap and a pencil being twirled between his fingertips. He was switching their places! Walking slowly towards the tree, she stole a glance back at him to make sure this was what he wanted. His soft smile assured her that it was. Rose blushed and continued forward.

As Rose sat down on the carefully laid out blanket, she thought of how much effort he had put into this. She opened up the basket and found a bottle of water, a plate of assorted fruit, a whole banana, and a book. She popped a grape into her mouth before inspecting the book. Its spine was well worn, but otherwise it was in good shape. It must have been read many times, but it was well cared for. A favorite of his? She glanced up at the bench to see him already drawing in slow, long strokes. He looked up at her and grinned, causing her to blush and self-consciously tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

Rose scooted back against the tree, sitting in nearly the exact position he had been in for the past weeks and opened up the book. Clearly he had wanted her to read it, and she was excited to finally learn something about him. Considering his reading habits in the last few weeks, books were obviously a large part of his life, and this one seemed extra special.

The book was a fantastical adventure through space. Not the type of book she would have picked for herself, but she was quickly lost in it and could see why he enjoyed it so much. The writing was superb, and the story managed to be wonderfully romantic without being cheesey. As the romance developed, Rose found herself wondering if he was trying to tell her something with this type of story, but she tried hard not to get her hopes up. His actions seemed romantic, but maybe she was reading too much into it? Maybe he just thought it was only fair for him to have a chance on the other side of the sketchbook. But then why the blanket and picnic?

Hours later, she had finished off the plate of fruit and was at the end of the book. She read the last line and closed it. A sweet, happy ending. She looked up to find him walking across the field to her. Her heart beat faster and faster as he drew close.

“Would, uh... would you like to get some dinner? With me?” He asked while tugging on his ear, a slight blush on his cheeks.

Rose smiled widely at his nervousness that so closely matched her own and nodded. “I would love to.”

 

**June 26th**

Another Sunday found Rose sketching at the park again. The same blanket was spread out under the tree and Rose sat on it. She was working on a new drawing, this time filling in all the details she had wondered about. She dotted each of his freckles, a discovery that she adored. She drew in each hair, including the stragglers hanging across his forehead. She captured the gentle caress of his fingers on the cover of his book.

This Sunday, he leaned against the same tree. He read aloud this week, his velvet voice telling of another exciting adventure. It was by the same author as the book Rose had read last week; part of a series. He looked up to her, and she got lost in the impossible depths of his eyes. A giant grin overtook his face, and his eyes crinkled at the corners. Rose knew she just had to draw those next. He reached out and gently grabbed her hand. He placed a soft kiss on the back of it, earning him a soft blush and a large grin. She lowered her hand back to the page and happily drew in his eyelashes brushing against his cheek. Every day, she found new things about him that enhanced his beauty. It was this Sunday that she vowed to keep drawing him, forever.


End file.
